how long or when, and what

[zero]

until society breaks down. All societies come to a end.

And which way do we go. socialism, die off, fascism, authoritariansim, anarchism, communism. most likely is the population decline, the rest are all pretty debatable.
people have been removed from their own sustenance for so long and have become so specialized in knowledge they cannot sustain themselves, nor is the resources there for them all to anyway without stability, security and technology. All which will be interrupted.

Seems the possibilities are endless.

But all eventually come to a breakdown, or call it a transformation. into what, forward or more primitive. And type is the question. There is little doubt a degree of anarchy will be achieved, if only a for a brief time. maybe not much different than present day somalia. maybe better, maybe worse. We can hope that period is better. with more people there is more competition for resources. societal breakdown may very well limit capitalisms ability to provide products from resources. not to mention the minor currency crash implications on trade and production. it could cause greater efficiency rebuilding from crash in a simpler environment, or could cause a time of lessened efficiency because of confusion and loss of infrastructure and plants and equipment. During lessened efficiency there is little doubt there will not be the supply necessary to carry the world population. As the breakdown will cause diminshed production (like oil in libya currently).
Disruption is undoubtedly inevitable. So perhaps we move through one ideology to the next, with a time spent in a worse than somalia type anarchy. And see if a better anarchy can result with freedom, or if people (the survivors) again rebuild the state and seek rule to escape the anarchy.
Either way, when this system breaks down (not if, as history shows it is WHEN) i expect it will be quite the show. As it is the largest and most complex, and largest population and highest production system to ever exist. And it is a GLOBAL system interwoven into every dark corner of the globe. I envision it like a imploding star.
or i could be dead and gone by then. so be it i suppose. Given human reaction to fear and need for leadership, the survivors will probably elect a bunch of adolf hitlers and just go to war with eachother. suppose, we can still hope for the best however. And at least starting over, there is yet another chance for mankind to choose a different path.

[Hierophant]

Read The Fifth Sacred Thing, if you're interested... for a best-case scenario, I guess.

[zero]

Read The Fifth Sacred Thing, if you're interested... for a best-case scenario, I guess.

not much for fiction and not my style. But thankyou for the suggestion. i still have to make it through leviathan and have YEARS of catching up- to do.

[Hierophant]

"Not much for fiction"? That's ridiculous.

[zero]

"Not much for fiction"? That's ridiculous.

what is ridiculous about not reading fiction? I have only read , a part of one ficiton book, since i was a teenager. i dont watch much for tv sitcoms either. But will watch a occasional movie and usually keep up on world news.

[Hierophant]

That's like saying you don't listen to music. No one doesn't like fiction.

[zero]

That's like saying you don't listen to music. No one doesn't like fiction.

i don't read much fiction (well, except propaganda news fiction) , get over it.

[Hierophant]

Whatever.